NIH Annual Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting > April 29-30, 2026

Meeting Information

Rocky Mountain Laboratories
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840

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Guests--For NIH TAC Open Sessions (Zoom Webinar Registration)

April 29, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MDT
April 30, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MDT

Agenda

NOTE: ALL TIMES ARE MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT)

PRE-TRIBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE LISTENING SESSION

April 28, 2026 (In-Person Only)
Time	Topic	Presenter/Facilitator
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. MDT	NIH Tribal Health Strategic Plan Listening Session Location: Tammany Room Bitterroot River Inn 139 Bitterroot Plaza Drive, Hamilton, MT (In-Person Only)	Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) staff, TAC Delegates and Technical Advisors (TA) Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Director, Tribal Health Research Office (THRO), Office of the NIH Director (OD), Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), NIH

NIH TRIBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA

April 29, 2026 (Day 1)
Time	Topic	Presenter/Facilitator
8:00 a.m. MDT	Meet in the hotel lobby at 8:00 a.m. to depart at 8:10 a.m. for NIH Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) Security	TAC Members and Technical Advisors
9:00 a.m. MDT	TAC Caucus 1: Closed Session TAC & TA Internal Discussion	Herminia Frias, M.P.H. (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) TAC Chair Stephen Kutz, M.P.H., B.S.N. (Cowlitz Tribe) TAC Co-Chair TAC Delegates, Alternates, and Technical Advisors Only
10:00 a.m. MDT	Invocation Welcome and Land Acknowledgment	Kimberly Hampton, Ph.D., M.Psy., M.Ed., M.B.A. (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Board of Directors) Annie Belcourt, Ph.D. (Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation) Associate Professor, School of Public and Community Health Sciences Department, College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
10:05 a.m. MDT	Introductions, Welcome, and Business Roll Call and Introductions Housekeeping Notes Meeting Procedures Review Agenda & Meeting Goals THRO Update: AIAN Reinstatements	Herminia Frias, M.P.H. (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) TAC Chair Stephen Kutz, M.P.H., B.S.N. (Cowlitz Tribe) TAC Co-Chair Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH Marshall E. Bloom, M.D. Associate Director for Scientific Management, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, DIR, NIAID, NIH
10:40 a.m. MDT	Welcome and Overview of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)	Steve M. Holland, M.D. Director, Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
11:00 a.m. MDT	Overview of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories and Working with Indian Country	Marshall E. Bloom, M.D. Associate Director for Scientific Management, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, DIR, NIAID, NIH
11:20 a.m. MDT	Research in Indian Country: Indigenous Knowledges Powering Science and Tribal Health (NIH Awardee)	Annie Belcourt, Ph.D. (Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation) Associate Professor, School of Public and Community Health Sciences Department, College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana
12:00 p.m. MDT	Lunch	Pre-ordered lunches will be available. (Meals will be self-paid.)
1:00 p.m. MDT	Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission Studies, Are Humans at Risk?	Brent Race, D.V.M. Associate Scientist, Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, DIR, NIAID NOTE: All presentations will be limited to 15 minutes to allow for 15-minute TAC questions and answer/discussion period with presenters
1:30 p.m. MDT	Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in the United States: A Risk to Human and Animal Health	Emmie de Wit, Ph.D. Senior Investigator Laboratory of Virology, DIR, NIAID
2:00 p.m. MDT	Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Past and Present	Ted Hackstadt, Ph.D. Chief, Host-Parasite Interactions Section Laboratory of Bacteriology, DIR, NIAID
2:30 p.m. MDT	15-minute Break & Stretch
2:45 p.m. MDT	STEAM Collaborations with Indigenous Peoples Committee Overview	Philip Stewart, Ph.D. Special Volunteer, DIR, NIAID
3:15 p.m. MDT	Hands-On Workshop (In-Person Only)	STEAM Collaborations with Indigenous Peoples Committee at RML
4:55 p.m. MDT	Reconvene and wrap-up Blessing	Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH Kimberly Hampton, Ph.D., M.Psy., M.Ed., M.B.A. (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Board of Directors)
5:00 p.m. MDT	Adjourn
5:10 p.m. MDT	Depart from RML campus to the Bitterroot River Inn	TAC Delegates and Technical Advisors, and NIH Staff
6:15 p.m. MDT	Leave for Dinner at Teller Wildlife Refuge	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, and NIH Staff
6:30 p.m. MDT	Dinner at Teller Wildlife Refuge, The Barn 1180 Chaffin Lane, Corvallis, MT 59828 Presentation: Bridging Western Health Research and Traditional Knowledge Systems (NIH Awardee) Poetry Reading	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, NIH Staff Damian Chase-Begay, Ph.D. (Mandan/Arikara) Associate Professor of Social Epidemiology and Indigenous Health, University of Montana Heather Cahoon, Ph.D. (Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe) Chair, Native American Studies, University of Montana & Founder of the American Indian Governance and Policy Institute (AIGPI)
8:30 p.m. MDT	Depart for Bitterroot River Inn	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, NIH Staff

April 30, 2026 (Day 2)
Time	Topic	Presenter/Facilitator
Schedule	Topic	Presenter/Facilitator
8:00 a.m. MDT	Meet in the hotel lobby at 8:00 AM to depart at 8:10 a.m. for NIH Security	TAC Delegates, Alternates, and Technical Advisors
9:00 a.m. MDT	Tour of the RML Laboratories (In-Person Only) Electron Microscope Light Microscope Genomics Biosafety	TAC Delegates, Alternates, and Technical Advisors Only Vinod Nair, Ph.D. Jacqueline Leung, Ph.D. Paul Beare, Ph.D. Jared Montana, M.S.
10:00 a.m. MDT	TAC Caucus 2: CLOSED SESSION TAC Delegate, Alternates, and TA Internal Discussion	Herminia Frias, M.P.H. (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) TAC Chair Stephen Kutz, M.P.H., B.S.N. (Cowlitz Tribe) TAC Co-Chair
11:00 a.m. MDT	Invocation Welcome and Call to Order Introduction Recap of Day 1 and Overview of Day 2	Debra Danforth, B.S.N., R.N. (Oneida Nation) Herminia Frias, M.P.H. (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) TAC Chair Stephen Kutz, M.P.H., B.S.N. (Cowlitz Tribe) TAC Co-Chair Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
11:15 a.m. MDT	Welcome and Opening Remarks Discussion with NIH Leadership	Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. Director, NIH Nicole C. Kleinstreuer, Ph.D. NIH Deputy Director, DPCPSI, OD, NIH
12:15 p.m. MDT	Group Photo (In-Person Only)	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, Drs. Bhattacharya, Kleinstreuer, and Walters, THRO and NIH staff
12:30 p.m. MDT	Lunch	Pre-ordered lunches will be available. Meals will be self-paid.
1:30 p.m. MDT	THRO Updates Tribal Data Sovereignty	Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
2:00 p.m. MDT	THRO Strategic Plan Development Working Session with the TAC Vision, Mission, & Goals Substantive Areas discussion Strategic Plan workgroup	TAC Delegates Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
3:45 p.m. MDT	Break
4:00 p.m. MDT	Action Items for NIH	Herminia Frias, M.P.H. (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) TAC Chair Stephen Kutz, M.P.H., B.S.N. (Cowlitz Tribe) TAC Co-Chair TAC Delegates and NIH Leadership and Staff
4:45 p.m. MDT	Closing Comments & Adjourn & Blessing	Debra Danforth, B.S.N., R.N. (Oneida Nation) Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
5:00 p.m. MDT	Depart from RML to the Payne Family Native American Center at the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, NIH Leadership, and Staff
6:00 p.m. MDT	Arrival at Payne Family Native American Center, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, NAC 112, Missoula, MT 59812	TAC Delegates, Alternates, Technical Advisors, NIH Leadership, and Staff
6:30 p.m. MDT	Opening Blessing in Rotunda Dinner (Meals will be self-paid)	Zachariah Rides At The Door (Blackfeet Nation) Marshall E. Bloom, M.D. Associate Director for Scientific Management, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, DIR, NIAID, NIH Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH
8:00 p.m. MDT	Planetarium Experience: Native Star Stories and Health Research	Annie Belcourt, Ph.D. (Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation) Associate Professor, School of Public and Community Health Sciences College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana
9:00 p.m. MDT	Closing Comments and Blessing	Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W. (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Executive Secretary for the TAC & Director, THRO in the OD, DPCPSI, NIH Marshall E. Bloom, M.D. Associate Director for Scientific Management, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, DIR, NIAID, NIH
9:05 p.m. MDT	Depart for Comfort Inn